It’s Holy Week and with a husband who’s a minister, it’s a busy weekend! I’ve got hot cross buns rising and bunnies all about. And, Spring is in the air!

I’ve been reading the book Moloka’i by Alan Brennert and have been so touched by the ’sisters’ cari…

Sometimes our dolls take us on an adventure. That’s what happened this week as I was ‘playing’ with Anika, our Dutch miss. Through the power of the internet, she first took me to the gorgeous tulip fields of Holland. This involved a bit of time travel to…

Now that we're at the end of January, it's a good time to reflect on how those New Year's Resolutions are coming along! We were featured in the January/February issue of Doll Castle News and they chose to feature our Scotsman. It got me looking into Scot…

Designs of Christmases Past

Many years ago I commissioned my father to make me a 'Swedish Tree' in order to showcase all my clothespin ornaments before we got around to getting a live tree in the house. He is half Swedish, after all! Well, he'd never hea…

With Thanksgiving behind us, why not kick up your feet and watch some school sports? And, while you're at it, you could make some clothespin dolls to give away during the holidays for tree ornaments or gift toppers! It's the perfect time to be inspired b…

Peg Leg Pete wishes you a Happy Halloween! A quick google search will give you some quick phrases to use with your little guy. You might even be so inspired to dress up yourself and try a few of these. Here are some of my favorites:

Scallywag: What an e…

Since moving to Charlottesville, Virginia 6 years ago, I've meant to make a Thomas Jefferson doll. Living in the shadow of Monticello and walking the grounds regularly, I've taken pause to think about the controversy surrounding our Founding Fathers of l…

Thanks to Katherine Lacaze from Astoria's Coast Weekend publication for a chance to tell our story! You will find out WHY we make our dolls. We had such a fun time showing her our little peg people and sharing about how Heritage Folk evolved over the cou…

Here we have a clothespin Lady Liberty fashioned after a design on a canned salmon label once used at the cannery that once stood on these piling at Knappton Cove, Washington. The cannery was converted to the U.S. Columbia River Quarantine Station in 189…

"America is, always has been, and always will be a Nation of immigrants. It was the premise of our founding; it is reflected in our Constitution; it is etched upon the Statue of Liberty — that “from her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome.” During Nat…

My childhood church, Clatsop Plains Pioneer Presbyterian, has a wonderful Easter tradition of creating a daffodil cross on their front lawn. The bright yellow display is such a hopeful sign of Spring after what is often a dreary winter on the North Or…

In honor of Mother's Day I'm reflecting on how resourceful mothers are with the items they have on hand. I believe this is just as true now as it has been in the past--the pandemic has taught us that! Mothers have been masters of the home arts throughout…

On this Valentine's Day I'm sharing the cake topper (clothespin dolls, of course!) made by my Mom for our wedding, many years ago. After watching The Crown on Netflix, it seems rather silly how caught up I was in the royal fairy tale of Princess Diana an…

The convergence of St. Patrick's Day and Women's History Month, provides us the perfect opportunity to honor Miss Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through the Ellis Island Immigration Station. She was only 15 years old, in fact it was her birthda…

In watching the pomp and pageantry of the Inauguration of President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday, I was overcome with such a patriotic feeling. It was so nice to see our Marines there in dress uniform and at attention to ensure the …

Back in the 1980’s worry dolls were trending. DMC, the embroidery floss folks, asked Mom to design some crafts using their product. Of course, she made some clothespin dolls! The miniature flat clothespins turned out to be perfect for the task, having a …

We hope you're enjoying this October with lots of time outside before winter hits and have managed to find some time for your favorite fall activities, albeit with a pandemic twist this year. I've found plenty of time at home to pull out ALL of my Hallow…

It seems our world is just aching these days for peace and understanding. The recent events of 2020 have truly highlighted how much we need to work together. At Heritage Folk, we've enjoyed making dolls of all colors that tell stories from around the …

Here is Mika, our lovely Japanese lady in her traditional kimono.

Since 1978, May has been designated as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month as a time to recognize the contributions and influence of this culture. It was on May 7, 1843, th…

Here is Wendell, our young Swiss hiker wandering about the Blue Ridge Parkway on Easter morning. Amidst all the Covid-19 news, it's a welcome relief to get some perspective from the mountaintop. It was quite windy this morning, but, as you can see, Wende…

In the past few weeks, the Coronavirus Pandemic is forcing us to learn to live differently. We are trying our best not to panic, but that’s easier said than done when we watch other countries struggle to handle the crisis. One thing we know for sure is …

With all eyes on Super Tuesday and so much anticipation for the 2020 Election, I thought I’d share with you our “Votes for Women” dolls in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.These dolls are all one of a kind, using repurposed men’s neckti…

This Wednesday, Virginia just became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment! Having moved here recently, I was not aware that Virginia was among the states that hadn't passed it. With the 100th anniversary of Women's Suffrage and the 4th Ann…

Decorating for the holiday always involves pulling out the MANY boxes of ornaments and other trappings. It’s like time traveling through the years, seeing what clothespin creations we came up with to mark the year. This is one of my favorites from the ye…

In this season of Thanksgiving we share with you a couple of our Autumn Fairies. They are hovering about all the festivities. These ladies are made with vintage handkerchiefs, one with some precious handwork and another with a fun falling leaf print. The…

Did you know that clothespins become the perfect starting point for creating your own examples of the Hopi Kachina dolls? They are part of the rich cultural heritage of the Hopi and Zuni tribes of New Mexico. If you have the patience for this kind of det…

Momma Bunny and her two little ones are visiting Montpelier, the home of James and Dolly Madison. Momma is trying to teach them a history lesson about the U.S. Constitution and the 4th U.S. President, but the children are more excited about the signs of …

My Dad made this custom clothespin creation a few years back for my birthday. It's so fun to see the clothespin ladies whirl about. The tradition of dancing around the May Pole lives on in this miniature model, all engineered without any power source oth…

As is so often the case at the beginning of March, there are signs of Spring amid very wintry conditions. The Acorn Elves have ventured up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park and look what they have found! The ice is melting and creat…

Valentine's Day always gets me looking through my vintage handkerchiefs. They are all so beautiful and lacy, and some have lovely handwork. They send me right back to bygone days. I can't seem to pass up a good find at a thrift store, even though I certa…

There was a small town in Oregon named Zena. It's barely there now, among the hills outside of Salem, but you can find it if you know what you're looking for. It's a good thing we visited the spot when my grandmother was still alive because it's the k…

Last July we had our Annual Lewis & Clark Encampment, and this year the National Lewis & Clark Trail Foundation sent 4 'ancestors' of the Corp's trusty dog, Seaman to different spots on the Trail. We were fortunate to host "Rocky" for our event. You can …

Posted on January 12th, 2023

Mom designed the Small Family sometime while we were a young family, and I can't help recognizing our own little family in these dolls. It's definitely a snapshot of what we looked like in the 1970's. Now, admittedly, my Mot…

Posted on January 12th, 2023

With the war in Ukraine pressing on, I thought it was time to highlight our Sunflower Fairy. She brings a bit of cheer to anyone she meets. Sunflowers face the sun, following it from the eastern sky in the early morning to t…